Long-term outcomes in children with chronic kidney disease stage 5 over the last 40 years.

Abstract

IntroductionWe evaluated outcomes in children with chronic kidney disease stage 5 (CKD 5) treated in the first pediatric dialysis unit in Poland during 1973-2012.Material and methodsThe retrospective analysis included 208 children with CKD 5 undergoing renal replacement therapy (RRT), stratified into four decades of treatment: 1973–1982, 1983–1992, 1993–2002, and 2003–2012.ResultsThe most common causes of CKD 5 included glomerulonephritis in 27.4% and pyelonephritis secondary to urinary tract anomalies in 25.5% of children. Among 208 children, 172 (82.7%) survived and 17.3% died. Kidney transplantation (KTx) was performed in 47.6% of children, including pre-emptive KTx in 1.92% of children. Chronic dialysis was continued in 34.1% of children, and RRT was withdrawn in 1%. The overall mortality rate was 6.2 per 100 patient-years, and 3-year survival was 83.9%. The highest mortality rate of 23.4 per 100 patient-years was observed among children in whom RRT was initiated in 1973–1982, with subsequent reduction of the mortality rate to 4.5 and 2.1 per 100 patient-years in 1993–2002 and 1983–1992 respectively. No deaths were noted after 2002. Cardiovascular problems were the most common cause of death, found in 36.1% of patients (p < 0.01). Identified risk factors for mortality included young age, low residual diuresis, anemia at the time of RRT initiation, and hypertriglyceridemia and hypoalbuminemia during RRT.ConclusionsIn years 1973–2012 significant improvement in prognosis among children with CKD 5 was achieved. Identified predictors of mortality included young age at initiation of RRT, low residual diuresis, anemia and hypertriglyceridemia.